Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Surjya Narayan Patro, a former speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and one of the most senior BJD officials, passed away on Saturday at a local private hospital. He was 75.
Patro, a seven-time MLA, won three times from Digapahandi in Ganjam district and four times from the Mohana Assembly seat in Gajapati district. In his more than three decades of active political life, the Digapahandi MLA who is currently in office had never experienced election loss.
After winning his maiden election to the Assembly in 1990, Patro had the special distinction of serving as a minister in Biju Patnaik’s Janata Dal cabinet. Patro became a constant member of the Naveen Patnaik cabinet after the BJD won the election in 2000 and remained so till the 15th Assembly (2014–19).
